


Some Things End Without Tryin'

by DoctorQui



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Fluff, Hanzo is used to it, Jesse is a huge dork, M/M, someone help these boys they need it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 08:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10407507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorQui/pseuds/DoctorQui
Summary: Despite being centuries old, Jesse McCree has never learned how to swim. As a loving boyfriend and oh so kind soul, Hanzo Shimada seeks to rectify this. An addition toVashoth'sFae AU!





	

**Author's Note:**

> There are mentions of drowning throughout this chapter, if that's a no go for you please take care while reading!

It was a little after midday when they finally got to the lake. Jesse had delayed as much as he could, of course, but ultimately Hanzo’s stubbornness won out. Though Jesse’s nerves were entirely shot, he forced himself to keep going. 

 

He and Hanzo had an unspoken competition, after all, one he was determined not to lose. 

 

Hanzo stopped suddenly at the edge of the water and Jesse stepped up next to him. He was staring at the lake with intense concentration, brows furrowed and mouth set in a serious line. Jesse recognized this expression; it was the same one he made when he drew his bow, or when the newspaper had a particularly difficult sudoku puzzle that day.

 

For a moment, everything remained still. Jesse had to double check to make sure he hadn’t accidentally bippity boppity boo’d the whole damn clearing, but no, Hanzo was just intensely concentrating on water, for whatever reason. Any attempt to read his emotions was moot too--Hanzo was stoic, solemn. The only vibe Jesse could read off of him was a slight bit of nostalgia, but even that only came when Jesse really reached for it. 

 

Like most moments, however, this one soon came to pass. Hanzo blinked and cleared his throat, brown eyes flickering up to meet gold. He then turned without a word, stalking over to a large tree nearby that provided a shady reprieve from the afternoon sun. Once at its roots he began to strip, carefully peeling off each layer and folding it before gently laying it in a pile. While normally this would have Jesse barking at Hanzo’s heels, this time he merely swallowed and followed suit, shoulders tense and movements stiff.

 

Once they were both down to their trunks, Hanzo stepped towards the lake, a teasing grin on his face. “Are you ready, Jesse?”

 

He considered the question for a long minute. Was he ready? In truth, he didn’t think he’d ever be--but the fact that Hanzo was here gave him the courage he needed to try. 

 

Or at least, it certainly made him spiteful enough.

 

“Hold up,” Jesse drawled, making his way up and bumping Hanzo’s hips with his own. With a snap, a pair of yellow duck floaties appeared on Jesse’s arms. “Alright sugar, anytime.”

 

Hanzo responded with a snort and waded into the water, turning around after a few steps to beckon Jesse forward. He dissipated the floaties and followed, but stopped short at the shore. 

 

A deep breath. 

 

He could do this. 

 

As soon as his foot made contact with the water, however, every cell in his body screamed otherwise. Jesse yowled and shot back as if bitten, glaring at the lake. 

 

“This shit’s colder than a witch’s tit! Goddamn, Han, how’re you used to it so fast?” he yelled, looking frantically back and forth between his boyfriend and the water. 

 

Hanzo crossed his arms. “It is not as bad as you make it out to be, Jesse. I would tell you to stop being so dramatic, but I’m afraid that’s your strongest trait.” 

 

“Hey, I ain’t  _ that _ bad!” 

 

“You re-enacted your death when we first met.”

 

“It was for flair!” Jesse huffed, throwing his hands in the air.

 

Hanzo merely raised an eyebrow at that, taking a few cautious steps back towards Jesse (who continued to pout like the child he very much was). Like approaching a startled deer, Hanzo took his time until he could wrap his arms around Jesse, cool palms resting against warm skin. 

 

“There is no need to be like that. Come, I’ll be gentle,” he said, leaning in to place a feather-light kiss on Jesse’s nose. 

 

“That’s what you said last time. Didn’t end up with you bein’ very gentle, far as I recall.” Jesse grumbled and scratched at his neck. Under his palm laid a very light bite mark, barely noticeable, just starting to heal. It certainly wasn’t the only one.

 

“Do you not trust me, my fae?” 

 

Hanzo looked up. Jesse knew this expression well too--it was the face Hanzo put on when he was trying to be persuasive in that cryptic, ancient way he was so fond of. Jesse usually saw it in the mornings when Hanzo wanted to cuddle but was too proud to say it out loud. 

 

“Of course I trust you. I trust you ‘bout as far as I can throw you,” he replied. It was hard to keep his face neutral when his boyfriend turned up the charm like this. Who could resist those puppy dog eyes? Or dragonling eyes, he supposed. 

 

The two stared at each other for what felt like a year. Could have been, really, they certainly wouldn’t have noticed. Eventually, though, Hanzo’s iron will won out--Jesse broke off with a sigh and crossed his arms, leaning back slightly. 

 

“Fine. Whatever. Do what you want.” He waved a hand, doing his best to ignore the toothy grin that appeared on Hanzo’s face. 

 

However, those seemed to be the magic words, so to speak. With no warning whatsoever, Hanzo tightened his hold around Jesse’s midsection and lifted, easily picking him up off the shoreline and heaving him towards the water. Jesse, the studly, intelligent being he was, picked up on this plan anyway and reacted just in time. 

 

Instead of creating a satisfying splash, he now hovered gently a few feet in the air where Hanzo had thrown him, a lazy grin stretching across his face.

 

Hanzo watched with a scowl. “Jesse.”

 

“Yeah, sugar plum?”

 

“Get down here.”

 

“Sure thing,” Jesse replied, floating down so that his face was level with Hanzo’s. “What’s up?”

 

This time, Jesse couldn’t react--before he could so much as blink, Hanzo grabbed his arm and sent an electric shock through it. Not enough to hurt (though it always did, in his heart), but enough to spook Jesse into falling into the lake, which he did with an indignant squawk and a pointedly unsatisfying splash. 

 

The water hadn’t changed, even after hundreds and hundreds of years. It was still pleasant, if cold, washing over his skin, blooming his hair up into weightlessness. For the first brief moment when Jesse hit the water, he felt near peaceful. 

 

Like all nice things, though, it didn’t last. The weight of the water soon became oppressive, pulling him down. He reached a hand up and breached the surface, kicking his legs furiously in an attempt to escape the tightness in his chest. It didn’t work--there was no ground to kick off of this deep, and try as he might he just wouldn’t go  _ up.  _ It wasn’t pleasant, not by a long shot, but Jesse supposed drowning never was. It was familiar, at least, unsurprising in the way his chest was pulled taut and his muscles screamed out for mercy. He huffed out a stream of bubbles as he continued waving his hands, determined to fight ‘til the end of the line.

 

Luckily for Jesse, his line wouldn’t be cut quite so short. A strong, calloused hand gripped his and hauled him upright, through the surface of the water and onto a firm, familiar chest. He sputtered and coughed, lakewater erupting out of his mouth in short spurts as that same hand gently patted his back, soothing him through the shudders that wracked his body. 

 

“Never,” he hacked, pushing out so that he was afloat only by the harsh grip he had on Hanzo’s shoulders, “and I mean  _ never _ do that shit again. I may love you, but there’s only so many fuckin’ times I’ll let you almost kill me.” He cast a wary glance at the water, where the gold of his eyes was reflected, glowing like a firefly on a summer’s night. 

 

Hanzo’s eyebrows were drawn together, his mouth set in a firm line. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself short, taking a moment to ruminate on Jesse’s words. Eventually, he seemed to settle on what he meant to say and placed a careful hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. He seemed surprised when Jesse didn’t shrug him off, but understood with a glance that it was strictly for balance purposes. 

 

“I am on a mission today, Jesse. I do not need to say what I mean and what I feel about this--you already know it.” Hanzo’s words were soft but confident. Jesse could sense waves of emotion peeling off of him--regret, guilt, but overshadowing them all was a firm resolve. 

 

Jesse found himself strangely reassured by Hanzo’s words. It was a rude thing to say after what he’d done, he still believed that, but Hanzo’s conviction changed the meaning. He knew this would happen when he threw Jesse, this wasn’t an accidental mishap. He was prepared for this, he was  _ here _ for Jesse.

 

And he said it all by almost drowning him, the way only his dragon could.  

 

“...Alright. I get’cha, I know what you’re on about.” Jesse sighed, running a hand through his hair. He flinched at the way it clung about his head, the lake’s water a bit thicker than he was used to. “You’re a crazy bastard though, you know that?”

 

Hanzo grinned at that, his residual guilt melting into pride. “I wouldn’t be dating you if I wasn’t.”

 

“And here I was thinking we were some sorta natural power couple.” Jesse shook his head, unable to resist the smirk that formed on his face. “Now, teach me how to do this shit. Never know where we’re gonna be headed now that I’m free to roam as I please, y’know?”

 

He felt a twinge of irritation in Hanzo at that, but besides a short huff he received no response. 

 

The afternoon carried on as Jesse slowly learned the basics of swimming, starting with treading and moving on to a few basic strokes. He found it wasn’t as hard as he’d imagined--once over his initial terrified reaction to the water, it was pretty nice. Not to mention it gave him plenty of excuses to demand Hanzo’s hands all over him, and he’d certainly never complain about that particular privilege. 

 

By the time the sun began to set lower in the sky, not quite dusk but rapidly approaching it, Jesse could confidently tread water. He was no master, but if he ever needed to make some sort of deal with a naiad it wouldn’t kill him now.

 

Content with his progress, Jesse paused mid-stroke to look over at Hanzo. He was lounging by the shore, floating in the water on his back. He looked peaceful like this, entirely calm. In his element. 

 

Jesse couldn’t have that, now could he?

 

It started with a pinch. Literally, as a hand made entirely of water snuck up to Hanzo’s chest and pinched it tightly. He shot forward with a yell and spun around to glare harshly at Jesse, who only laughed as another hand shot up, this time grabbing Hanzo by the ankle. It dragged him across the water, oblivious to the low growls and laughter pealing through the air. It let go with a flick of the wrist, sending Hanzo careening further into the lake. 

 

Not content to simply sit by, Jesse raced over and met his fuming, huffy dragonling halfway. Before he could say a word, Jesse tugged the two of them underwater and pressed their lips together, reveling in the surprised noise he drew from Hanzo. It was short and chaste, if only because of all the magic afforded to them, the ability to grow gills was not one. As they broke the surface, Jesse again saw the reflection of his eyes in the water, golden and bright. 

 

He decided he liked it better this way.  

 

“You are  _ deplorable,”  _ Hanzo said, shoving at Jesse with both hands. 

 

“Only for you, doll.” Jesse grinned, flicking water on Hanzo’s nose. He responded in kind, shoving his hands forward. Despite the hard splash he sent Jesse’s way, Hanzo’s smile belied his fondness. 

 

This started an impromptu war, of course, neither of them willing to back down until the other was thoroughly defeated. They splashed and played in the water, Jesse pulling an unfair advantage by controlling the lake itself while Hanzo ducked and weaved as best he could, moving through the water as if he were born in it. Eventually, their battle came to a close, their chests heaving and smiles plastered wide across their cheeks. 

 

Hanzo pushed away first, kicking back towards the shore. “I am leaving. I believe we’ve had quite enough practice for one day.” 

 

“Aw, you’re no fun. If you insist, though.” Jesse shrugged and followed him. He paddled along, much like a dog, until he was at Hanzo’s back. He stopped there, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend from behind, nosing at his neck as the two came to stand waist-deep in the water. 

 

“This is not leaving. In fact I would say it’s just the opposite,” Hanzo teased. He brought a hand up to intertwine with Jesse’s, turning back to smirk knowingly at him. 

 

“Just a moment longer, honey. S’the first time I’ve been able to enjoy bein’ in the water. Let me savor it.” Jesse punctuated the statement with a soft kiss at Hanzo’s nape, tightening his grip around his waist. 

  
  


It was quiet for a moment as they stood there, basking in the sun’s last rays as the world seemed to slow to a stop around them. It was nice here, tranquil. He couldn’t say that for most places he’d been to. For the first time since he met Hanzo, he thought he wouldn’t mind staying in one place for a few millenia. 

 

“Jesse.” Hanzo’s chest rumbled softly. “I have a question, if you would not mind it.”

 

Jesse made a questioning noise in response, not daring to lift his head from its resting place between Hanzo’s shoulder blades. “Depends, sweetpea. What’s on your mind?”

 

“Why do you dislike the water?”

 

He froze at that, wide eyes staring into Hanzo’s skin. It was a story he should’ve been prepared to tell, yet the words still wouldn’t come to him. Hanzo was patient, waiting for an answer even though he no doubt sensed Jesse’s tension. Again the world around them grew quiet, though it was not a sustainable one. 

 

“It was before. Before I died, obviously,” Jesse began, the words soft against the damp skin of Hanzo’s back. “Stationed in Gibraltar, mission with  _ jefe. _ Fightin’ some crooks in the harbor. Got into a scuffle, business as usual. They pushed me in.” 

 

He paused for a moment, thinking of how to word the next part. Squeezing Hanzo’s hand tightly, he continued, “The Alboran Sea’s not the most forgivin’ mistress. Beautiful water, really, crystal clear an’ gorgeous. Too bad lil ol’ country boy Jesse only knew how to sink like a rock. I remember the feelin’ like it was yesterday. Blacked out. When I came to Reyes was loomin’ over me. Bad guys got away, since he had to dive in after my sorry ass.” 

 

Jesse chuckled, remembering the look on Gabe’s face. He’d never seen worry like that. It didn’t suit him. 

 

“S’about it. Never went in the water again. Wouldn’t exactly call it a fear, more that I jus’ wasn’t willin’ to deal with it. It never came up again either before, y’know. The desert.”

 

The reaction was slow, hesitant. Jesse could feel the uncertainty coiled up in Hanzo’s gut as he turned in his arms, eyes soft and filled with concern. He didn’t say a word as he gathered Jesse’s face in his hands and leaned forward, peppering his cheeks with soft kisses. Jesse only laughed weakly in response and swatted a hand, though there was no real desire to stop him.

 

“You are very brave, Jesse McCree. You are brave and loyal, and much stronger than you give yourself credit for. I’m proud of what you’ve done today, and I cannot imagine another person who I would rather throw into the water.” Hanzo smiled. “For better or worse.”  

 

Jesse’s grin was small, but unmistakable. He snatched up Hanzo’s lips in a kiss, sweet and slow as molasses, before leaning back so that only their foreheads were touching. “Shucks, darlin’. You spoil me.”

 

Hanzo said nothing more, and the two of them enjoyed the moment together, accompanied only by the faint chirping of bugs and the setting sun’s tawny reflection on the water around them. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Once again, this was for [ Vashoth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vashoth/pseuds/Vashoth), who wrote an absolutely _incredible_ Fae AU. Go read it if you haven't, read its sequel, read it all. She's incredible, love you Elaine  <3
> 
> As always, a HUGE thank you to my beta [Mango](archiveofourown.org/users/MalevolentMango)! The most wonderful beta ever, light of my life, also wrote an absolutely stunning Fae AU piece that you should check out. You're the best, darlin', I'm determined to say so in every author's note.
> 
> Another thank you to the Shipwatch discord! Y'all are so sweet and kind, make my life better every day. 
> 
> Find me on [twitter](twitter.com/tsoleille) or [tumblr](schrodingerslion.tumblr.com)! I love screaming with people, and I'm always taking prompts. I'm also now taking ['requests'](schrodingerslion.tumblr.com/commissions) if that piques your fancy!
> 
> Have a wonderful day guys!
> 
> EDIT: Now you can enjoy [this](http://alexanderlozada.com/iasip/?SGFuem8gV2F0ZXJib2FyZHMgSGlzIEJveWZyaWVuZA==) summary of the fic, provided by the lovely Poptart!


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